Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-04-01
spoke calmly and bravely enough, was

spoke calmly and braveiy enough, was
anxious too.
As the day broadened. passengers,
with the pallid CRIME Of an unwonted
night upon their countenances, began
to appear upon deck. The sight of
ordinary felloW-creatures. a cup Of good
coffee, and the appearance Of few
tentative beams of early sunshine, went
far towards restoring cheerfulness and
something Of confidence. The great
tower Of Antwerp Cathedral was show
ing clearer and clearer, and the interest
excited by new scene was chasing
away my morbid impressions and
arousing wholesome curiosity. I be-
gan to feel confident that we should
succeed in our quest. Shaw had held
the language of reinsurance on this
point all along.
at is certainty" he said. ..Plowitz
is evidently q valuable catch, and, with
the telegraph at work, there need be by
this time no place thai he could reach
which will not be well watched
'But Mary?' I said.
s.Mary," said Shaw conyincingly,
''will be perfectly safe. 1t is neither
to his interest nor to anyone's to harm
her. Her evidence will not be particu-
larly valuable, as far as I can gather,
and without her the police evidently
have all the information they want.
No." he went on, "Plowitz is sure to
be caught now, and when he is taken,
Mary viii be safe.''
In spite of these reassuring views
my anxiety increased to q feverish
pitch as the moment of landing drew
near. In the confusion attending
debarkation I lost hold of the comfort
I had derived from my companions
words. But after we had gone through
the formalities incident to landing on
Belgian soil, we were accosted by a
trim-looking gentleman with short,
gray whiskers, long thin nose with
close nostrils, and firm, straight
mouth. He mentioned each of our
names, and identified us as VIC an
swered to them. He then informed us
that he was an agent of the English
police, and that he had received in
structions from Chief Inspector Rose
bush to afford US all possible assistance
in our search for Miss Fortescue: while,
at the same time, he had been advised
that we might be of some service in
tracing Plowitz.
Mr.. Harper-such, we learned, was
the name of Rosebush's auxiliary
very courteously invited US to his house,
or rather to the house in
which he had apartments, on a
semi-oficial footing. As we were on
the point of settling of, q subordinate
arrived on the scene, and a short con.
versation in an undertone ensued,
"lt is all right" said Mr.. Harper,
turning to US and showing some signs
of excitement; 'sPlowitz has been traced.
We can secure him now.''
s'And the lady?" said Shaw.
1.-THE lady-no." answered Harper;
"but there is no doubt that where the
one is found the other will not be far
off,"
suppressed with difficulty an indig-
nant desire to put Harper right in his
view of the relations of the fugitives,
but there was no time just then for ex-
plantations, and we were soon threading
our way through streets of tall houses
Presently we emerged into large
square. The bells of the cathedral and
of innumerable churches were Ginning,
and looked with some admiration at
the picturesque novelty of the scene,
being, like many Englishmen especially
struck with the old-world figures of the
clergy. Two or three venerable-look-
ing priests passed US as we crossed the
square. We walked, the three of US
together, conversing casually about the
aspect of the town, being perhaps too
anxious to talk about the business i'm
mediately in hand. Suddenly caught
sight of figure in the habit of priest
emerging from q street some yards
ahead of us, and rapidly crossing the
end of the square. An instinct brought
me to momentary stop; an impulse
drove me to rush straight at the veneer
able figure. ..
"Plowitz! William! Where is Marye"
I cried as I clutched at tho throat Of the
ecclesiastic.
At my cry the seeming priest gave a
start backwards, avoiding my grasp,
but knocking off in the violent motion
the broad-brimmed hat which had been
drawn well down over his brows.
Instinct was right. It was Plowitz.
There was strange light Of fear and
resolution combined in his wicked look
ing eyes, and q curious smile on his lips,
such as had never seen before. He
answered never q word, but ainging
out his left arm, he struck me with some
weight in the chest, and with. his right
hand fired q revolver full at me.
staggered from the blow with which he
checked my rush, and, a. I staggered, I
heard the bullet whistle past my ear.
and crash of glass behind me showed
that it had gone through the window of
some good citizen of Antwerp. Ere he
could fire another shot the wretch was
seized and disarmed. The odds were
great, and he made no attempt at a
struggle, but I saw hungry gleam Of
-